Pascale Auber & the Ruritanian Riddle

LXXV Rescue - 1

I would not have known where along the river Miss Silverstar - or rather, Miss Simpelstur - meant in her letter, but clearly Theo did. He scooped up his silk-gloria umbrella in his left hand as he stood, and grabbed my own left hand in his right one. Fascinated again by the effect his warm hand had on my accelerating heart rate, I allowed myself to be tugged past the tapestry and down the staircase, back into the narrow passageway between the walls of the building. This time, we did not turn towards the roadway, but in the opposite direction, towards the garden. I was surprised to see the sun was already low in the sky, an orange globe half-buried by the still-ominous, grey clouds.

Theo's little flying machine sat on the centre of the paved area at the heart of the Ruritanian Embassy's courtyard garden. In better times I would have noticed the carefully tended rose garden, but worry was making my stomach ache, and Theo's drive forward was relentless. Without a word, he clambered up across the Ruritanian emblem on the wing and onto the polished wood of the cockpit. Again he took my hand, and helped me into the craft. He finally spoke as he handed me his umbrella.

"Do take this, Miss Auber. I rather think the rain is about to return."

I took the umbrella, tucking it under my arm. As the little flyer leapt into the air with a lurch, I asked, "But where are we going, Mr. - er,Your Highness?"

He snorted. "Mr. Theophilus von Hentzau, please. And to a quiet cove on the river north of the city."

"Not the theatre?"

"Not the theatre."

I gripped the polished brass handrail hard enough to turn my knuckles white. "Let me off, then."

He turned to me, his expression incredulous. "Let you off? Why?"

I was flustered enough to render my grammar almost incomprehensible. "Simpelstur has my brother, and he said to meet him after the show! I presume he wants to ransom -"

"Calm down!" Hentzau said, in a voice which was not calming in the least. "Think for a moment! Who sent me that bird, hmm?"

"I don't know. Mandy someone."

"'Mandy' is Cartimandua Silverstar, of course. You don't know her handwriting,but I do. There will be no 'after the show' because there hasn't been an evening performance."

"What do you mean?"

"She obviously waited until her uncle went to take his seat, then took advantage of that freedom to escape his clutches."

"Fine, so go help her, but let me off! This doesn't help Blaise in the least!"

"Don't be silly. She's Simpelstur's niece, and she's fond of your brother,isn't she?"

"Fond of Blaise? Well, I mean, she kissed him, but - "

Theo rolled his eyes.

"Fine," I allowed, my hair blowing into my eyes. "She's fond of him. So?"

"So helping Miss Silverstar is helping your brother!"